Restaurants For All Reasons Whether You`re Trying To Dump A Date Or Impress One, Court A Client Or Feed The Family, We`ve Found The Places With Menus For Success.

May 4, 1986|By Alice Fisher

MY FRIEND-- let`s call him Michael -- had a serious problem. Michael decided to break off his relationship with his live-in girlfriend. His problem was that this was the fourth time he had tried . . . and failed.

The scene was always the same. Michael would take his lady to an intimate Fort Lauderdale restaurant, choose a table overlooking the water, and order the finest wine with dinner. And each time, right before coffee was served, when he

was supposed to deliver the coup de grace, he would instead find himself rushing back home with her to indulge their desire for, uh, dessert.

Michael`s problem was basic. He was taking his lover to the wrong restaurant for a breakup. A romantic ambiance intensifies the libido; the restaurant he chose was conducive to love, not rejection. Michael wasn`t aware of a fundamental rule in life: For every occasion, there is a restaurant.

Had he asked for my advice, I would have suggested a bustling, singles hang- out -- say, Shooter`s in Fort Lauderdale -- for a goodbye scene. In that atmosphere, Michael would be constantly reminded of what fleshly pleasures awaited him as an unattached male. And, as a bonus, it`s the kind of place where both partners could possibly get lucky that very evening.

The right-restaurant theory holds true in many situations. Perhaps you have out-of-town guests, the kind who are are world-traveling pains in the neck, very hard to impress. If you take them to a typical Florida restaurant, they will smile faintly and comment upon the ``really nice`` tropical setting. What you need to do is knock their gourmet socks off with a sophisticated spot that serves superior cuisine equal to any in the world. So you take them to Brooks, in Deerfield Beach, where the French family who owns and manages the restaurant could charm the pants off Yves Saint-Laurent.

Get the picture? There is a right restaurant for all of life`s great and not-so-great moments. Naturally, the following list is not exclusive; Sunshine couldn`t visit all the thousands of eateries in South Florida. These are just a few that seemed to fit certain circumstances we`ve all faced, not to mention hunger. Bon appetit.

Unfortunately, we have all been in this situation. It`s a family gathering and suddenly someone announces that he is ``starved`` and there is absolutely nothing in the refrigerator -- and even if it were filled, you don`t want to cook anyway. This is the time to pack up everyone -- including the day-old- infant -- and head for Mario The Baker. OK, there is always a wait, but benches are conveniently placed outside. Service is super-fast (there are no desserts offered to cause lingering), and most people are in and out in less than 30 minutes.

Once inside, kids run rampant. Tables play ``pass the sleeping baby`` so everyone -- including mother -- gets a chance to dig into the divine Italian fare. Seniors are in abundance, too. Tables are very large so no one invades anyone`s space or plates.

Mario serves what may be the best garlic rolls in the world. No matter what you select, start the meal with several dozen of these pastrylike goodies that are swimming in oil and garlic sauce. Helpful hint: Spear them with a fork and eat lollipop-style or you will be covered with grease.

The pizza, of course, looks and tastes wonderful ($4.75-$8.50). Specials such as shrimp and scallops, served over fettuccine, with salad ($8.25) are a good choice. So are the stuffed shells with salad ($5.95), eggplant parmigiana ($4.25), lasagna ($4.25), veal and peppers ($5.75), and a sausage submarine ($3). All portions are gigantic and sharing is always a good idea.

If you really get hooked on the food, Mario will cater your party or family gathering. All he needs is 24 hours` notice.

For your anniversary you should have a romantic and gorgeous setting, exquisite food, solicitous service and unabashed pampering. It`s all here at Roberto, located on a charming street only minutes from the beach.

The restaurant consists of three rooms decorated in tones of green and pink. Your very own man greets you personally and asks, ``Did you have a lovely day?`` And even if you spent it cleaning the garage or browsing through a flea market (as we did), your only response can be ``Of course.``

Perusing the wine list, we noticed that the least expensive bottle was $35, so we opted for the house wine, a Cru de Coudoulet `82, which cost $15.